"To foster an equitable local food system that restores the health of the people, community, economy and ecosystem."

Local Foods Coalition Now Hiring!

We have job opportunities available for positions with the the Local Foods Coalition, 1 with the Valley Roots Food Hub and 1 with the Rio Grande Farm Park. Positions are posted on our Employment page - View Job Descriptions »»

How to Cook Dry Beans and Healthy Bean Recipes

Check out this complementary instructional video "How to Make Beans" from Cooking Matters Nutrition Educator Lois Harvie and Local Foods Local Places Program Director Abe Rosenberg. View here smaller or Picture in a Picture or Visit YouTube »»

Apply for SNAP Benefits - SNAP is here to help during COVID

SNAP the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides a monthly supplement for purchasing nutritious food. Benefits are available to support families as well as the local economy. Temporary changes due to COVID-19 make it easier to apply and may increase your benefit amount.View the Apply Info in English »»View the Apply Info in Spanish »»

The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition is now providing remote SNAP application appointments. Anyone wanting food assistance can call to complete an application. To schedule an appointment, email snapslv@slvlocalfoods.org, call 719-937-2319, or text SNAP to 719-539-5606. You can also apply for SNAP benefits online at Colorado PEAK »» or by calling your local human services department. Emergency allotments for SNAP recipients not receiving the maximum amount will be issued on May 18-20th. Go to Hunger Free Colorado »» for any SNAP or food resource updates. Local food resources can be found at SLV COVID Food and Resource Directory »»

COVID 19 - Make a Homemade Mask

Learn how to make a homemade face mask to protect yourself. Watch Video »»

Monthly Radio Show with the Local Foods Coalition featured on KRZA 88.7fm

We are excited to share our new radio show organized by our Show Manager, Abe Rosenberg! Please join us from 8:30-9am every third Thursday of the month for the Local Food Local Places Radio Show »». We will post all shows on our website including past shows for you to listen to at your convenience. Please visit our new Local Foods, Local Places program »» to learn more about LFC local efforts connecting the San Luis Valley with local initiatives.

It is not everyday that we as a society are given pause due to some thing that is beyond our control. A pandemic is now upon us and our society has been affected throughout with school closings, event cancellations, and social distancing being encouraged. The state of the economy is profound.

It is during these times that the significance of a local food system is never more clear. If you haven't engaged with us we invite you now to join us in the Colorado cornucopia that is here at your fingertips. It's important to keep a continual investment into those vital social structures no matter the state of the world. In times of need we want these structures and systems to be healthy and fully functional.

We want to share with you some of our Standard Operating Procedures so you can be confident in your local food sourcing:

We follow a USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Food Safety Plan which is very strict in constant and ubiquitous sanitation and bringing mindfulness to sources of contamination and executing preventative measures.

We routinely wash hands several times throughout the day.

We regularly sanitize work surfaces.

During this time we will also be temperature testing staff, and sending home any symptomatic staff, to ensure there are no emerging symptoms in the work place.

If you have any questions, insights, or concerns please feel free to respond to this newsletter.

On behalf of the Board and Staff of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition and the Valley Roots Food Hub, we hope you and your family are safe and healthy and finding your needs met.

We would like to help your food needs by providing the resource of the Valley Roots Food Hub whereby you can order healthy affordable local sourced foods to be delivered weekly. Please view our YouTube Video to learn more about ordering and deliveries to your area - How to order from the Valley Roots Food Hub »»

Market Orders are open for placement by 4pm on Sunday for delivery on Tuesday.A $250 Order Minimum will receive Complimentary Delivery!

In local food we trust,
Nick and staff

Generous Funding Supports the Local Foods Coalition!

The Local Foods Coalition has been blessed with several grants in the past few months to support our ongoing local food system work, so we would like to take the opportunity to recognize their generosity:

THE LAURA JANE MUSSER FUNDFunds from Laura Musser are supporting the refurbishment of the Mobile Kitchen "MoKi" and a MoKi Coordinator as the program serves new roles around the San Luis Valley. These roles include bringing fresh food access to food insecure communities of the region, while continuing to offer cooking demos, recipes, and tastings at the Alamosa and Monte Vista Farmers Markets.

A robust grant from the Colorado Health Foundation are supporting a wide variety of activities from the "Local Foods, Local Place"s community action plan. This includes salary for the LFLP Program Director and Community Advocate, Alamosa Farmers Market infrastructure, SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, and Cooking Matters support, sponsorship of Community Listening Sessions around the Valley, and a variety of other activities.

Anschutz Family FoundationGeneral Operating support from the Anschutz Family Foundation will support the LFC as it continues supporting local producers, regenerative practices, healthy local foods access in homes, schools, restaurants, and grocers, and community nutrition and food education. Repeated support from Anschutz has made a tremendous difference in the LFC's capacity from year to year.

Clif Bar Family FoundationFor years the Clif Bar Family Foundation has been a vital supporter of the Valley Roots Food Hub by funding important capacity-building and infrastructural development. This most recent grant is being used to support the Food Hub by both growing and stabilizing its transportation capacity as it continues to grow its market reach in the region.

The San Luis Valley Conservation and Connection Initiative is a partnership of Western Rivers Conservancy, Colorado Open Lands and the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust, with support from the LOR Foundation over four years (2016-2019). Grant funding through this partnership is aimed at developing Valley Roots Food Hub marketing of regenerative soil farmers that sell through the hub.

RSF Social Finance Seed FundThe RSF Social Finance Seed Fund supports projects and programs that offer innovative solutions to challenges in the areas of food and agriculture among others. A generous grant from the Seed Fund will be utilized to help construct a bilingual farmer and rancher resource guide geared toward connecting beginning and minority producers to important resources they might otherwise be unaware of.

USDA Rural Business Development GrantThe USDA Rural Business Development Grant will help provide technical assistance to the Tap Root Cooperative as it builds governance capacity and prepares to do strong regional business along the Front Range of Colorado.

Alamosa Marketing DistrictA small grant from the Alamosa Marketing District is being used to support marketing for the MoKi during the 2019 season as an anchor for Alamosa and Monte Vista Farmers Markets.

Adams State University Food Studies Program 2019

Join the ASU for participation in their Bachelor of Arts Food Interdisciplinary Studies Program! Exciting and unique career opportunities in learning about food production and marketing through Internships with hands on practice on campus and in the community. Including emphasis in Health & Wellness, Sustainability, Businees & Food Policy, Sociology / Social Justice.View Studies Flyer »»Visit Adams State University Food Studies Program »»

The Green Gold of San Luis

Enjoy this historical video shared by the Valley Roots Food Hub from their recent February 12th newsletter.

Vacuum Cooling in AgricultureThe agriculture of the San Luis Valley is old, time tested, and proven. The town of San Luis has the oldest continuously-used water right in the State starting in 1852. Folks have been producing quality products here for a long time and it just keeps getting better.

Check out this old video about the lettuce production during the 1950s. For all of us tasked with keeping produce cool, check out these vacuum cooled lettuce tubes and ice packed rail way cars! Pull a vacuum on lettuce heads and the water boils away which is evaporative cooling!! View Historic Video »»

Interested in getting more involved with Double Up Food Bucks?

LiveWell Colorado is actively working to transform access to nutritious food in the entire state. One of its major programs, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), allows SNAP recipients to receive $1 for every $1 spent on SNAP-eligible food, up to $20. These "double up food bucks" can then be used to purchase fresh Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables. DUFB was started in 2016 and has helped people bring home more healthy fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers. LiveWell Colorado is taking DUFB to the next level and is looking to develop and increase community engagement.

In order to do this, LiveWell will be working with partners across the state to develop the Community Food Advocates program. This program works with local ambassadors to share the DUFB program with community members and organizations to increase participation. View DUFB Program Press Release »»

We are actively seeking current or past recipients of SNAP and DUFB participants as Community Food Advocates. We are currently looking for Advocates in Southwest Colorado (Montezuma and La Plata Counties, with some outreach in Archuleta and Dolores Counties), Denver, Garfield County, Montrose County, and the San Luis Valley.

Community Food Advocates will partner with community members to support the DUFB program. Advocates will promote and increase community participation in the program. Stipends are provided. View DUFB Advocate Info »»

Hotline operates 9am to Noon and 4pm to 7pm with a way to leave a message.

SLV Food Resources Directory

The Local Foods Coalition's community task team has compiled a helpful resource page to address food resources available for residents of the San Luis Valley to utilize along with various Colorado State resources.